A Planning Guide for Empowering Learners

with School Library Program
Assessment Rubric

Published by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and Britannica Digital Learning, A Planning Guide for Empowering Learners is an online program assessment and planning module for school libraries. This interactive tool saves and converts user entries into worksheets, charts and graphs, saving librarians time while delivering data to schools and districts. Subscribers can login to the module at aasl.eb.com.

Comprehensive assessment is the foundation for successful planning. The cornerstone within the module is the School Library Program Assessment Rubric, a tool that allows school librarians to assess their program on 16 different sets of criteria, or 65 individual criteria. Data entered is processed into colorful top-level summary charts and graphs that school librarians can share with stakeholders, colleagues and supervisors when discussing library program health, or saved and archived year-to-year to determine progress comparisons.

Program improvement being a continuous process, the School Library Program Assessment Rubric presents an entry point for establishing goals for each cycle. Using findings from the rubric, the planning section of the module follows a series of sequential steps that ensure users go beyond the basics of planning and reporting. Designed to allow for flexibility and encourage collaboration, the planning process walks users through evaluating the existing program, involving stakeholders in the planning process, aligning the library program mission with that of the school or district, developing action plans based on assessment data, setting ambitious but measurable and attainable goals and objectives, and charting implementation progress and results. School librarians can access the module online from any computer, save and edit their program plans and monitor their progress.

Need some assistance or a live demonstration of the module?

L4L State Coordinators are available to present at state and regional conferences across the country. Contact your state coordinator to see about scheduling a presentation in your area.

Ordering & Preview

Subscriptions and opportunities to preview the module are handled by Britannica Digital Learning. To order or request a trial subscription, call 1-800-621-3900 or visit shop.eb.com.

Subscriptions are $50 for the first year; renewals are $30 per year. AASL offers bulk pricing for districts ordering the module. Purchase orders will be accepted. For pricing for multiple copies, please contact 1-800-621-3900 or e-mail contact@eb.com. Ordering arrangements are also available for higher education bookstores.